All Things Lost
by Aki-chan
Summary: Remus Lupin pre-hogwarts. Just how did he become a werewolf? here's my take on it. please read and review!
1. chapter one

This story was started back in the summer of 2002 with many of my other stories and since then, a lot has changed with the fifth book. Since Remus's childhood has yet to be revealed in detail, I wanted to take my own approach at what it might have been like. So here it is, not quite new but definitely improved and hopefully this story will continue to grow with your help and reviews. Thanks!  
  
Key: ~ ~ ~ ~ Indicates a flashback  
  
All Things Lost By Aki-chan  
  
Chapter One: Whispers by the Moonlight  
  
A child's eyes are said to reflect innocence and naivete. For one father, when he would look at his son, he saw wisdom far beyond his years. It was unnerving and down right intimidating but it really did not come as a surprise.  
  
Remus Lupin had always been an exceptional child. Charles Lupin, Remus's father, would always find him with his tiny nose in a large, dusty book. Remus would tackle books that Charles would find himself dozing off to after reading only a page.  
  
There was something about the theories and eclectic methods used by wizards in the early seventeenth century that just did not stimulate Charles like a good game of Quittach did (especially if you could bet some money on it). It's just a few galleons, right? What if he won a bet? He could buy all the books Remus wanted all thanks to a little "bonus" at work, he would tell his family, no questions asked.  
  
Though Charles Lupin was a respected official at the Ministry of Magic (much more important that he ever let anyone care to know) and a loving husband and father, he found himself unable to enjoy life at home.  
  
His guilt had eaten away at him. It had sunken his eyes and hollowed his cheeks. He barely even looked his wife or son in the eyes anymore.  
  
His close friends at work knew Charles had a bit of a gambling problem, but they never knew just how much debt he had racked up. He bet on anything that looked like it could turn over a profit and the fact of the matter is that he had never won, not even once.  
  
Now Constance Lupin, Charles's wife, was said to be where Remus got his personality. She was a model wife and mother. She had a kind nature; a thoughtful smile and her eyes had deep crow's feet in the corners from all the laughing she did.  
  
In truth, her cheerful nature was just a façade.  
  
Inside, she was hurting. Her heart had always given her troubles but she was an excellent actress. The only person Constance couldn't fool was Remus. He knew whenever his mother would get upset and place her hand over her heart, it was because she was in pain that reached so deep within her that it bore all the way down to her fragile soul.  
  
As for Remus, most people would say there really isn't anything there. Being ten and a boy gave him the God given right to be carefree and a troublemaker but in truth, Remus was neither. He was far from carefree and seldom talked.  
  
Remus seemed to look at things with a skeptical and unemotional view. In fact, Remus distrusted everything. He did not believe anything that wasn't cold hard fact and written in a book.  
  
Despite this, he was a cheerful boy, but he had no luck with gaining friends. It wasn't that surprising to his parents, who thought Remus was probably the most serious ten-year-old in the universe.  
  
However, Remus had not always been like this. It all seemed to start when he was five...  
  
~ ~ ~ ~  
  
He had been playing in the front yard but had decided that a passing butterfly was worth a closer inspection and had followed it down the street.  
  
Constance had finished letting the dishes wash themselves and had come outside to see how Remus was doing. She saw his toys spread through out the front lawn, but no Remus.  
  
Instantly, her hand was over her heart. Constance called his name to see if he had moved to the backyard but there had been no answer.  
  
Her veil as a quiet and calm woman had been lifted to reveal the tired and worrisome mess that she really was.  
  
Neighbors ran into their homes and glared out their windows to see the frantic mother screaming her child's name. Everyone was too afraid to go to her and see if they could help.  
  
"What if the little Lupin boy had been kidnapped?" They asked themselves.  
  
Nothing horrible like that would ever happen in their community. Surely not here in the peaceful town of Pierson.  
  
Maybe Constance Lupin wasn't so normal after all. And so, the neighbors went inside and locked their doors. There was no reason to get mixed up with a strange woman like that.  
  
Remus, who hadn't been that far away, just two houses over in fact and creeping through a thicket of bushes after the insect with rather mild interest, had heard his mother's calls and instantly came running.  
  
He had grown tired of chasing the butterfly that had amazingly dodged out of his grasp with little more then a lazy flutter of its yellow and black wings.  
  
He ran happily to his front lawn, though rather confused as he noticed all his neighbors were starring at him from their windows. There he saw his mother sitting on the steps that lead to a bright red front door with her head in her hands.  
  
"Mommy!" He smiled as he ran to her and jumps in her lap like only a child could do without knocking someone over. He hugged her and laughed. "I was chasin' a budderfly."  
  
Her head lifted, Remus saw how her eyes were bulged out and red, her tear soaked cheeks were flushed and he became frightened. He had never seen her like this before. Her gaze was a mixture of relief and anger as Remus stared back at her.  
  
This was not his mother.  
  
He recoiled a little and suddenly, his mother wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him so tight, he thought he was going to burst.  
  
"Mommy, is your heart broken?" Remus asked his mother as she let go of him and let her shaking hands return over the spot where her heart beat in her chest at an unbelievable speed.  
  
"Yes, dear. But I'll be alright now that you're home." Constance said with a strange smile.  
  
That night, Constance said nothing about what had happened to her husband when he returned from work. Remus wanted to say something about the "budderfly" but the look of his mother's face encased in fear and pain kept him in silence.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~  
  
With the events of that day, the flicker of light that always danced in his mother's eyes went out like a candle in the wind.  
  
Charles saw it too.  
  
That fire, that desire to fight gave in to pain and when that light died within his wife, it was reborn in Remus. Maybe she had done it on purpose. Maybe by letting go of her strength, she was able to transfer it to her son. Or maybe he was reading too far into it.  
  
Whether Charles wanted to believe this or not, Remus was changed. He no longer played with his toys or ran around like he usually did. He began sitting in corners and reading, sometimes thinking, but he would never explain to his parents what he read or thought about.  
  
* * * *  
  
Five years later, Remus had transformed into a small, handsome and very intelligent ten-year-old boy.  
  
Constance has lost a considerable amount of weight and large, dark circles have taken hold of the sensitive skin that hang under her eyes.  
  
Charles is still in debt, a lot of debt, but finds himself with more to worry about then money.  
  
Now, a soft wind blows silently through the town of Pierson. Nestled comfortably on a street named Ivy Lane, a tiny, two-bedroom house sits. Nothing out of the ordinary about this house, nothing strange. This is the house of the Lupin family.  
  
The night is quiet and wonderfully calm. There is a slight chill in the air but there is no one on the streets to shiver and pull their coats closer around their necks.  
  
This is the kind of night that makes a person thankful for large comforters and goose feather pillows.  
  
The autumn season has taken over and as the days progress, the night grows longer and much colder. Even the trees seem to shiver with fear of the winter months to soon follow.  
  
Just beyond the home of the Lupins, the crisp night air has been disturbed. This disturbance is coming from a large wooded park that begins a few blocks down from Ivy Lane on a street called Lancy Drive, also known as "Decrepit Drive". The houses are falling apart, boarded up and abandoned. No light comes from any of the broken windows and even the streetlights can not seem to cast enough light for a person to see clearly.  
  
At the end of this street, sits a strangely well kept brick and iron entrance to the park. The park is normally buzzing with children but tonight, it looks threatening rather then inviting in the darkness. It now resembles a gaping mouth of an animal with two glowing street lamps for eyes and a gate that cuts a small red brick wall with a large, black iron barred gate.  
  
We pass through the gate and make our way down a dark path. We must shake off this feeling of dread and head straight for the noise.  
  
We will find that this disturber of the peace is just a man. He is wearing a dark brown, tattered robe and he is running for his life, too tired to scream out for help but too afraid to stop moving. Finally, his feet catch on a large tree root that is invisible in the night.  
  
"No! No...please don't kill me! I'll...I'll do anything you ask! Anything!" The man begs with his face in the dirt.  
  
"How pathetic." Laughs a young girl daintily with a gloved hand covering her mouth.  
  
"Please, I don't want to die."  
  
"And for what you've done, you should!" She snaps.  
  
The man glances up at her and whimpers at the site of the girl's sharp fangs and red eyes.  
  
"I...I was p-planning on paying you back, I swear I was. I just don't have the money right now."  
  
"So you returned night after night to gamble with money you never had?"  
  
"I thought..." He began.  
  
"Shut up!" Hisses a man leaning against a near by tree. "Your whining is giving me a headache. Saphir, I'd like to kill him now."  
  
"Tiburon, dear, patience is a virtue. How can we collect money from a dead man?" The little girl asks with a horrid smile spread across her not so innocent face.  
  
"I haven't a clue." He retorts. "But I am starving, that I know."  
  
The cowering man lets out a loud sob at the statement.  
  
"Hold your tongue!" Saphir growls suddenly loosing her patience, but just as quickly regains her calm composure. "Let's look at this situation logically, dear." She begins slowly moving into the light. "You owe us more galleons then you can make in a lifetime. You gambled away any chances you have of getting out of this alive. I should kill you but...something is stopping me..."  
  
"Well, you know it's not me." Sneers Tiburon, "I say kill the bastard."  
  
Saphir ignores Tiburon and moves closer to the man. "You have a family, correct?"  
  
"Yes..." He mutters quietly.  
  
"And you have a job?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And that job is?"  
  
"I work for the Ministry of Magic."  
  
"As?" Saphir strings out her words as the man tries to delay answering her questions.  
  
"I'm on the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures."  
  
"Really! Isn't that wonderful!"  
  
"I don't see how." Tiburon yawns.  
  
Saphir smiles as she stops in front of the groveling, dirty man.  
  
"Well, wizard, this must be your lucky day. Tiburon and I have decided to let you live."  
  
"You decided." Growls Tiburon more fiercely then ever.  
  
"But, we're not just going to let you go." She grins thoughtfully.  
  
"What do you want from me?"  
  
"All in good time. As for now, you should go home and rest. We'll be in touch." Her blood red lips twist into a horrible smile.  
  
The man slowly rises to his feet and begins walking away slowly, never turning his back on the pair.  
  
"You better run." Tiburon sighs, looking at the partly cloudy sky. "They say it's going to be a full moon tonight."  
  
With that, the wizard breaks into a full out run. He does not look back as he runs now through the dark and empty neighborhood streets.  
  
As he reaches his own familiar block, the clouds break and the silver glow of the moon suddenly bathe the town in a gray light.  
  
A loud howl pierces the wizard's ears just as he reaches the front door to his house and trips on the steps.  
  
He lets out his own howl of pain as he collapses.  
  
The man was on his hands and knees, gasping for air. He was inches from his doorstep yet he hadn't the energy to move any more. Another howl echoed in his ears, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.  
  
"Move, damn you." He cursed to himself as he did his best to stand.  
  
The wizard's knees were shaking and his legs felt like rubber. His whole body was aching in pain as he used the tiny railing of the steps that led to the door to hold him up. He fumbled for his wand and tapped the doorknob three times. It opened with the tiniest creak of old wood. The man tumbled inside and shut the door just as quietly as it had opened.  
  
"Charles? Is that you?" A voice called from the kitchen suddenly, making the man jump.  
  
He quickly brushed the dirt from his robe and used his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his forehead.  
  
A woman wearing a long, light blue dressing gown with two long, sandy braids of hair running down her back came walking over to her husband.  
  
"It's...it's me, dear." The man said breathlessly.  
  
"Don't you 'dear' me." She scolded in a high, shaky voice. "How dare you! Do you have any idea what time it is?"  
  
"I was planning on coming home earlier but I was side tracked..." He trailed off as he looked at the furious glare in his wife's eyes.  
  
"Charles Lupin! Take a good look at yourself. You're dirty and probably drunk. It's disgraceful! What kind of example are you setting for your son? No doubt you woke him up with your tramping in here at this late hour and-"  
  
"Constance, I'm sorry!" He said yelling over her.  
  
"Keep your voice down!" She yelled back. Then in a hushed voice, she continued. "Come into the kitchen. Let's get you cleaned up." She sighed.  
  
Taking his arm, she led the ragged, tired man into the kitchen and handed him a cup of coffee that was stirring itself with a tiny silver spoon.  
  
Constance left the room and returned with a handful of clean bandages and a bottle of blue liquid.  
  
"Now hold still while I dress your wounds. I can't believe you've been fighting."  
  
"I wasn't fighting at all! It was dark, I was walking and tripped." Charles said as he looked down at his hands. He just now noticed the cuts on his knuckles that were bleeding freely all over his robes.  
  
"Don't lie to me. You're a terrible liar." She sighed quietly as she poured the blue liquid on a white strip of cloth and gently patted her husband's bloody hand. "No doubt that if you were out drinking, you were also out gambling our life-savings away as well. How much did you lose tonight?"  
  
"Actually, I broke even." He said trying to smile but winced in pain.  
  
"Charles..."  
  
"Ok, so I owe a little bit to some buddies of mine but it was nothing really." He said, forcing a laugh but it sputtered and ended up a violent cough.  
  
"A little bit here, a little bit there. It begins to add up you know. How are going to pay for food and this house? What about sending our son to school? Are you going to gamble away Remus's education?" Constance said as her voice began to crack.  
  
Constance's breathing became faster as she started to gasp for air. She put a hand over her heart and quickly stood up from the table, knocking the mug of coffee to the floor. Charles rushed to her and gently wrapped his arms around her.  
  
"Connie, you got to relax," He said as he stroked her hair. "You know what happens when you get yourself worked up. Your heart's weak as it is." He helped her back into the chair but never let go of her hand.  
  
"I can't take this any more." She said whipping the tears from her eyes. "I'm tired of these late nights when I don't even know when you're coming home and having to make so many sacrifices because we barely have enough money. Do you even care about your family?  
  
"How can you ask me that? I would give my life for you and Remus."  
  
"I'm not asking for anything like that! I just want us to be happy." Constance took up the bandages and finished dressing Charles' wounds. She cleaned the table and using her wand, she tapped the broken mug on the floor, making it whole again and set it in the sink to wash itself.  
  
"I'll see you in the morning." She whispered as she left the kitchen and walked upstairs.  
  
Charles waited a few moments downstairs before following his wife. Looking around in the empty kitchen he felt uneasy. With a heavy sigh, he turned off the light and went upstairs. He opened the door to the master bedroom and could see the dark form of his wife lying in bed. Charles let his dirty robes drop to the floor and slowly dragged his tired feet to the bed that seemed more inviting then ever. He fell lightly into the soft covers and was more then willing to let sleep take over.  
  
Moments later, Charles felt his wife turn over and gently put an arm around him. He looked at Constance's calm face and kissed her forehead.  
  
"Goodnight." He whispered.  
  
But Constance didn't hear him. She was already sleeping peacefully.  
  
Suddenly a piercing howl rang in the man's ears. The sound had come from outside and it seemed very close.  
  
"It's only dogs...it's only dogs..." He began whispering over and over again in his mind as he pulled the covers closer around him and his wife.  
  
It had been an hour before Charles was able to convince himself that it was only a neighborhood dog, but doubt never left him. That howl, the awful noise was a warning for him. He was in trouble that he couldn't bargain his way out of. They were watching him, he knew it.  
  
Charles could feel his fast heartbeat pound in his chest as he lay there next to his sleeping wife. How he wished everything would be all right in the morning, but he knew there was no escape. No way out for him or his family.  
  
The rest of the night Charles Lupin was plagued with horrid thoughts of what would become of him. He was unable to sleep a wink. Numerous times he arose to go check on his son, Remus, who slept across the hall. Every time he opened the door, he was afraid to find his son missing or worse. But each time was like before, Remus was tucking into his bed and sleeping peacefully, unaware of the night's events. 


	2. chapter two

A/N: hey there! I would like to thank everyone for reading chapter one and moving on to chapter two. Hopefully you will all continue reading and enjoying the story. Please leave reviews when you're done because your opinion matters to me and whether your responses are positive or negative, they will help me grow as a writer. Thanks again!  
  
All Things Lost  
  
By Aki-chan  
  
Chapter Two: Fated by the Moonlight  
  
"Good morning, father." Said a scrawny, sandy haired boy who looked about the age of ten. He yawned and stretched his way over to the kitchen table and slumped into an empty seat.  
  
"Morning, Remus. You sleep well?" His father asked.  
  
"Sorta. I woke up once because of something noisy. Must have been dogs. It was hard to fall back to sleep after that." He said, rubbing his eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry, son." Charles mumbled as he took a sip of his coffee.  
  
"Why? Its not you're fault." Remus yawned.  
  
Suddenly, Charles choked on his drink and spit it all over the newspaper he was reading. Remus leaned over and patted his father's back as he coughed and caught his breath.  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
"Fine, Remus, just fine." He wheezed as he shook off the ruined paper. He gave a sideways glance out the kitchen window and noticed a beautifully clear blue sky. He also noticed the moon. Pale, barely visible in the morning light, but looming.  
  
"Are you making a mess again, Charles?" Constance asked as she walked into the kitchen.  
  
"No, dear." He smiled.  
  
"Wonderful, then you can go change your shirt because you have coffee stains all over it." She smiled back as she cleaned the table.  
  
"I would, but I really have to get to work. It's been a real mess down at the Bureau lately."  
  
"I'm sure it has. Now get upstairs and change your shirt or else I'm not letting you out of the house." She said with a stern look.  
  
"Yes, love." Charles laughed nervously as he rushed up the stairs and changed his shirt.  
  
"Hurry up, Dear. I have to get Remus off to his first day of school." She called up to him while she gathered their cloaks. "I still can't believe this will be your last year." She said turning to Remus and handing him his coat. "The next thing you know, you'll be off at Hogwarts becoming a spectacular wizard."  
  
Constance smiled brightly as she blinked the beginning of tears from her eyes.  
  
"Oh, mom." Remus sighed, slightly embarrassed. "I don't even know if I'll get a letter. I might not have what it takes to be a wizard."  
  
"Of course you do! You come from a long line of talented wizards. There's no doubt in my mind that you will do many great things, you just need to believe in yourself." Constance said, getting a sentimental look again, making Remus roll his eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry," she started in a mocking tone. "It's just that my little Remus is growing up so fast!" Constance laughed as she moved toward him, pretending that she was going to smother him with kisses, making Remus smile but run away from her.  
  
"There now, Connie." Charles said jogging down the steps in a hurry and walking over to her. He took his cloak and gave her a good-bye kiss on the cheek (Remus gave them a disgusted look at the thought of kissing) and Apparated.  
  
"Look at the time! We'll be late! Grab your books and go to the fireplace." said Constance quickly tossing a velvet green cloak around Remus's shoulders.  
  
Mother and son moved in front of the large fireplace and wrapped their cloaks tightly around them. Constance took a small flowerpot from beside the hearth and sighed.  
  
"Looks like we're running low on Floo powder." She said quietly to herself. "Now speak clearly, Remus. I don't want you turning up in some strange place that's three countries away, not again." She scolded.  
  
"Of course not, mom." Remus said. The memories of an afternoon in Italy a few years ago came flooding back to him because he had said something more along the lines of 'Sicily' instead of 'the city' but he blamed his missing front teeth on that one.  
  
Remus took a handful of power and stepped into the fireplace. "Pierson's Peak." He said firmly and in a flash of light and green flame, he was gone.  
  
After a sudden rush of wind, Remus was pushed out of a large, antique fireplace and into a large, crowded area filled with people, all wearing long bright colored cloaks and some had long pointed hats atop their heads.  
  
Pierson's Peak was a tall cliff overlooking a vast lake and the small village of Pierson that sat right on the lake's edge. No one from the village or any muggles at least, would ever venture to the cliff. It was said that an old, run down mansion sat atop it where strange people gathered to do odd things. And the Piersonfolk, being people who enjoyed minding their own business, never ventured to see if any of the rumors were true.  
  
In actuality, the old house was a large, very busy bus station and it was far from run down looking on the inside. It was a place covered in anti- muggle spells, which made it quite all right for any muggle to pass right by and pay it no mind at all. Though large purple and green busses often stopped in front of it, anyone non-magical would have thought it to be tour bus simply paying respect to a quiet, old house that had been there for generations.  
  
Inside however, was madness. Large groups of witches with their children and wizards stood in lines here and there, a voice was constantly announcing arrivals and departures over the loud chattering that filled the building and station employees were busy pushing carts of luggage hastily through the crowds.  
  
On one side, it was a station for wizards and witches alike who lived in the area and wanted to get around without having to Apparate while the other side was for children all leaving for school.  
  
Remus stood amongst a tall group of wizards whom seemed to be having a conversation about the latest problem with magical creature disturbances. He looked for his mother but she was nowhere to be seen. He even called out her name but no one answered. Remus could barely hear himself think as he pushed himself past darkly cloaked wizards with sour faces.  
  
Suddenly, a hand gently grabbed his arm and pulled him though the herding masses to a small open area in the corner by the front doors.  
  
"Come now, Remus." His mother said letting go of him and straightening out his messy hair. "The bus should be here any moment."  
  
"At eastside gate number four, buses seven and eight are now arriving...It will depart to Stonewall Elementary School for Future Witches and Wizards, in just a few moments... All students, grades one through five will be loading immediately... At westside gate number two, bus number fifty-six, now leaving for London..." The voice called over the people, trailed off and then mixed again with the noise.  
  
"That's you, Remus. Do you have everything? Books? Lunch money? Brain?"  
  
"Mom!" Remus laughed.  
  
"Well, I just want to be sure. Your brain won't do you any good if it's sitting in your room reading comic books. Hurry now and have a good day at school. I'll be here when you return." She smiled and shooed him off to join the other children who were gathering at gate four.  
  
* * *  
  
"This is the line for buses seven and eight only. If you don't belong here, bugger off!" Instructed a disgruntled looking man with a fat face. The children laughed at him and his ill behavior.  
  
"Good morning, Mr. Donovan." A few of the older students giggled.  
  
Mr. Donovan had been there as long as Remus could remember and he always had the same horrible attitude toward the kids. It was probably because of all the tricks they had played on him over the years. However, none of the children were scared by the man one bit. Mr. Donovan and his contempt for them were just another part of what looked to be a normal day.  
  
The lines of children hopped onto the bus and within minutes the two large, bright purple buses were off with a loud pop and a small puff of smoke.  
  
Remus sat in a tiny seat by himself and listened while other children talked loudly about what they did over their summer vacation. He had never made any close friends at school so there was no one to welcome him back on his first day. There were a few polite smiles from a student or two from his class but nothing more.  
  
It was a long trip to the school through the hills and winding streets toward Stonewall Elementary. Remus always enjoyed the bus ride. He was never bothered by anyone so he was able concentrate on reading books that his father slipped him from work. Books on creatures and the dark arts that his mother would have never approved of were hidden in his book bag and in various places back in his room.  
  
On this particular ride, Remus had been immersed in a book called Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions when he felt a light tap on his shoulder.  
  
"Excuse me, is anyone sitting here?" A voice snapped at him suddenly.  
  
Remus looked up to find himself gazing into a pair of dark spectacles. Behind the spectacles was a tiny girl who looked a few years younger then him. She had a thin, pale face and bright red lips. Her deep red hair was pulled into two large buns on either side of her head and had ribbons intertwined in them and tied in bows. Her coat was black velvet with a thick collar of black fur. Under her chin, a large red bow was tied tight. The look of it seemed to restrict her movement, making her look actually rather strange, even for a future witch. He especially didn't like the fact that he was unable to see her eyes behind the black glasses though.  
  
"Well? Is there?" She asked again impatiently.  
  
"No." said Remus as he shook his head. He attempted to smile but his blank stare never changed. He was glad to have someone to sit next too, despite the girl's odd look.  
  
"Alright then. I hope you don't mind that I'm sitting here." She said taking a seat. "And even if you did, I refuse to get up." She added as she stuck her nose in the air and pushed her glasses up.  
  
"Sit where you like. I don't care." Remus retorted suddenly to her attitude as he settled back into his book rather disappointed.  
  
The girl's face lit into a smile at his answer. "I was just joking. Thank you for letting me sit here." She giggled. "My name's Saphir."  
  
Remus was taken back by the sudden change of attitude. Her voice was no longer harsh and rude, instead it was soft and quiet.  
  
"No problem. I'm Remus. Are you always that mean to people that you first meet, Saphir?" Remus asked putting his book into his bag and zipping it up.  
  
"Well, no. I'm just in a bad mood. No one will let me sit next to them, except for you, Remus."  
  
"Why is that?" He said trying to hide his curiosity.  
  
She looked at him silently for a moment then took off her glasses. Remus gave out a little gasp but quickly started pretending it was a cough. He now realized why she wore dark glasses. Her large sparkling eyes were terrifyingly bright red.  
  
"Your eyes are red." Remus asked, unable to stop himself from staring at her open mouthed.  
  
"No kidding?" She said with a slight sarcastic air.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Why do you want to know?"  
  
"No reason. I was just wondering." He answered still wide mouthed like a fish.  
  
"Just wondering?"  
  
"Uhh..." Remus thought for a moment as he looked at her. She returned his stare but with a more intense quality that made him close his mouth and look around for a moment. "Maybe I just wanted to keep the conversation going."  
  
"Why? Do you like me or something?" She asked tilting her head a little to the side.  
  
"No! I mean...you see...I don't mean it like that. Sort of. I mean, I think you're alright."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"So, have you always gone to Stonewall? I don't remember ever seeing you here before." He said changing the subject quickly.  
  
"Oh no." She smiled and shook her head. "This is my first year here. Though, I won't be here for long. I'm just passing through."  
  
"Then why are you going to school."  
  
"For fun." She said shrugging. "I don't know how long I'll be here. Might as well do something while I wait."  
  
"Where are you staying?"  
  
"Just outside of Pierson." She answered. "It's lovely. There's a little park near by. It's called...er...pine cone...pine needle..."  
  
"Pine Cove Park?"  
  
"Yes! That's it!" She smiled. "Do you know it?"  
  
"Yeah, that's down the street from my house."  
  
"Oh wow! Then it's fate!" She exclaimed.  
  
Remus just stared at her blankly.  
  
"What are the chances of us both living there?" She explained. "We were supposed to meet. It was fate Remus."  
  
"I guess." Remus shrugged. "But most of the kids on this bus live in Pierson."  
  
"Most of these kids aren't sitting next to you." She replies as she was jolted forward as the bus hit the brakes and stopped in front of the school. "Well, here we are. I'll see you later then." She said jumping up.  
  
"Are you going home on the bus?" He asked anxiously.  
  
"No. But we can meet tonight at the park! How about around midnight?" She said getting off the bus.  
  
"Uh...I guess that'll be f-fine." Remus stuttered.  
  
"Wonderful! I'll see you later then, bye!" She waved and ran off toward the other fourth year students who were gathering by the building.  
  
Remus hopped off the bus and walked over to the lines of fifth year students whom were already walking into the school.  
  
The whole way over, he could not stop himself from smiling. It was not a tiny smile either, it was a huge grin that made a few of the other students who noticed stare at him oddly. Remus couldn't help but to feel pleased with how well things were going and the day had hardly begun.  
  
"Hey, cool!" He heard the girl behind him say to her friend just as they entered the doorway. "The moon's still out. How pretty!" 


	3. chapter three

A/N: yay! Up to chapter three!! Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing!  
  
Chapter Three: Meetings by the Moonlight  
  
Remus had lost count of the minutes that had passed by since he had creep out of his window and secretly waited in Pine Cove Park for Saphir. The endless seconds became minutes and minutes drifted into hours but still Remus waited anxiously.  
  
Far in the distance, he could hear the chiming of bells from the church that was located in the center of town. He counted twelve tolls of the bell. The sound was quiet but it added a strange vibration to the air that was thick with a heavy mist.  
  
Remus began to pace numerous times back and forth at the edge of the playground where a swing set stood tall and dark. It had three rusty swings that creaked loudly in the breeze that was sweeping through the park.  
  
On one of the swings, he had set a small bouquet of flowers. Remus had plucked them from the small garden in his backyard that his mother had neglected over the years and had become overgrown with wildflowers and weeds. The flowers had been tied with some old Christmas ribbon Remus had found in the basement. The bright red color had reminded him of Saphir's hair.  
  
As he gazed as his sad bouquet of weeds, Remus had lost track of time. His mind began to wander about what Saphir's reaction would be to his gift.  
  
Would she like it or hate it? Would she laugh at him and run away? Was he being to forward? They had only met that morning but for some reason, Remus could not stop thinking about her.  
  
He was curious more then anything to learn more about her. Her appearance was strange and her manner was even more so. Most of all he wanted to be with her and talk. He really wanted a friend to confide in and this was his chance.  
  
Suddenly, Remus was violently shaken from his thoughts as a howl pierced his ears and rang through the night. It was such a loud and starling noise that he tumbled backward right into the playground's sandpit. He felt the cold sand quickly seep into his socks and shoes has he let out an annoyed sigh.  
  
A second howl made him jump to his feet and anxiously look about. The sound felt so close that he could tell what direction it came from. A short distance to his left, the forest took over the rest of the park and loomed darkly in the fog. The noise had come from just beyond those trees.  
  
Curiosity and dread filled his heart as he inched toward the trees as quietly as he could. Instantly the sound of voices hit his ears. There were two, no, three voices. The loudest one sounded rough and cruel, the second was softer but cold. The final voice, who ever it belonged to, was in great agony. Remus moved still closer, straining his ear to make out what they were saying.  
  
Failing to see in the dark, Remus's foot caught on a large tree root that stuck up from the ground. With a loud crash through a group of tall bushes, Remus fell forward onto the cold earth and froze to the spot in horror.  
  
The voices had stopped and nothing could be heard except the soft hooting of an owl that was out on the night's hunt. Remus lay still under the bush for what seemed like endless seconds. Finally, he mustered up some courage and just as he was about to stand and return to the swing set, a huge foot stepped heavily into the thicket inches from his head. Remus did not dare look up to see whom the foot belonged. The dark form of a large man loomed over the spot where Remus lay shaking with terror.  
  
In a deep growl, the man called to the others.  
  
"The noise came from around here. Stay there while I check it out."  
  
He finished with another low growl and then it sounded to Remus as if the man was sniffing the air. Suddenly, the dark form bent down low to the ground. Remus held his breath and closed his eyes tightly. He was so afraid he just wanted to scream but he did his best to keep his teeth clenched and his mouth silent.  
  
"Tiburon!" A voice hissed. "Stop playing around. It was probably just a squirrel. We have more important business to tend to."  
  
"Don't say my name. There could be someone here." Tiburon said moving back into the forest, away from the playground.  
  
"I don't think so. Stop worrying so much, dear. Let us focus on why we are here and get it over with." The voice called back. After a moment of silence, it spoke once more. "You wouldn't happen to know what time it is would you?"  
  
"It's probably half past midnight." Tiburon answered as he disappeared into the darkness.  
  
Remus gasped in alarm. What if Saphir had come and left already? Or if she showed up while these people where in the woods, she could be hurt if they found her. As soon as the man was gone, Remus ran towards the playground. He grabbed his bouquet from the swing he had set it on and was about to take off when a voice called to him from the trees.  
  
"Remus? Is that you?" A little girl wrapped in a black cloak smiled.  
  
"Saphir! Shh!!" Remus waved frantically for her to be quiet and come over to him.  
  
"What's wrong?" She asked walking over slowly.  
  
Remus thought quickly. He did not want scare Saphir but he wanted to get out of there quickly. "I thought I heard something. Some people might be here."  
  
"Really? Did you hear people talking? What did they say?" Saphir asked eagerly.  
  
"I'm not sure. It might not have even been anyone at all."  
  
"Well I just came from the woods. I didn't see anyone. But let's get out of here. It's creepy."  
  
She grabbed hold of Remus's arm and they took off in a run towards the streets of the nearby neighborhood. They stopped at the small brick wall that separated the park from the houses. A bright street light hung over them and glowed with the mist that still lingered in the empty streets. Remus helped Saphir onto the wall and then took a seat next to her.  
  
"Um...here." Remus fumbled with the withering flowers and handed them to Saphir.  
  
"You brought me flowers? Wow! That is so nice." She smiled with her sparkling red eyes.  
  
Remus felt his face tingle as he blushed.  
  
Quickly, the smile faded from Saphir's face. Her face was a sudden look of concern. "Your face is all red!" She said as she put her hand on his forehead and moved her face in close to him, almost letting her nose touch his. "Are you sick?"  
  
"N...no." He stuttered.  
  
"Maybe I shouldn't have asked you to come out here so late."  
  
"I'm fine, really." Remus insisted as he shook his head so vigorously that he almost fell off the wall.  
  
Saphir giggled and took a sniff of her flowers. "This was fun."  
  
"Yeah..." was all Remus could answer as he stared dumbly at her beautifully pale face.  
  
"Well, see you later." She said hopping off the wall.  
  
"You're leaving already?" He asked jumping off the wall quickly. "Do you think we can meet again another night?"  
  
"Oh yes, we can meet right here, the same time."  
  
"Great. Then I'll see you on the bus tomorrow." Said Remus.  
  
"I won't be going on the bus anymore."  
  
"Why not?" Remus asked but she just stared at him like she had not heard a word.  
  
"Remus?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Thanks for the flowers, I've never gotten any before."  
  
"Your welcome. So I'll see you around school?"  
  
"Maybe. But if not, we'll meet here in three days." She smiled before turning and running into the park. She turned and waved good bye before disappearing into the trees.  
  
"Wait!" Remus yelled but it was too late. Saphir was gone.  
  
* * *  
  
"Saphir! You haven't forgotten about why we're here, have you?" Growled Tiburon.  
  
"Will you stop worrying?" Saphir laughed nervously, her white fangs glistened in the soft moonlight.  
  
"You shouldn't have made that a date like that, you should have discussed it with me first. Especially since we have other more important matters to attend to tonight." He said motioning in the direction of a man crouched in the dirt, sputtering and gasping for air.  
  
"Must I discuss all my meals with you?" She hissed at him.  
  
"Just feed and get rid of him quickly, like the rest."  
  
"I can't do that." She said quickly.  
  
"You haven't actually developed feelings for this human boy. That's disgusting."  
  
"No, no." She said quietly. "Use that lump you call a brain and think for a change. I have to be patient when I feed or else people might get suspicious if all their children start coming down with anemia. They'll be on to me and I'll be dead before our mission is complete."  
  
"Do you even remember what our mission is?" Tiburon asked angrily. "Or is your human side beginning to over power your true self." He said punching the nearest tree. "I'd be rather angry if I found out I was being two timed by the likes of a half-vampire."  
  
"Oh Tiburon." Saphir laughed loudly but it was a cold, dangerous laughter that escaped her lips. "You always look so silly when you try to scare me. Good thing it doesn't work. I seriously hope that not all the werewolves are as ridiculously unthreatening as you. Your race would be a laughing stock." She yawned loudly and blinked her ruby red eyes lazily as her demeanor changed. "Has he given you an answer yet?" She asked coldly. Though she was only have his size, his massive frame seemed to shrink and cower in front of her.  
  
"No. But give me five more minutes. I'll have him screaming for mercy at your feet."  
  
"That won't be necessary. I'm tired and I've got school tomorrow. I'm going to bed." She yawned again. "Dump him at the entrance to the park and give him three days to decide and I do believe there will be a full moon on that night as well. If he doesn't give us the answer we want, do what you want to him...and his family." With that, she was gone.  
  
* * *  
  
Remus sat on the ground and leaned against the brick wall. He didn't know why but he had no desire to go back home. He wanted to go into the park and find Saphir so they could talk more.  
  
A loud rustling noise and a growl brought him back to reality. He had almost forgotten about the voices in the woods. Remus crawled quickly along the brick wall and hid behind a large tree just as a dark form emerged from the entrance to the park carrying something large. He watched in fear as the dark form from before finally was revealed in the light.  
  
"Now get out of here and think over what we've discussed." Said a man with thick, messy hair whom was still very tall though his back was hunched. Remus recognized the voice from before and found that his terrible voice matched his looks perfectly.  
  
Tiburon tossed a body easily to the ground and stood over it, waiting. The other man, beaten and bloody slowly stood and spit, what looked like blood, at the feet of the terrible man.  
  
"I already told you my answer is 'no'." He mumbled.  
  
Tiburon let out a horribly grotesque laugh before punching the man in the gut and letting him fall to the ground in a fit of coughing and gasping. He continued in a loud laughter that seemed more animal then man as he took a long, thin stick out of his pocket.  
  
"Don't forget this." Said Tiburon waving it around slowly before breaking it in half.  
  
"My wand..." The man on the ground gasped.  
  
"You have one week. Tell me your answer then. I'll let you talk it over with your family first." He said before bursting into another fit of laughter before shoveling into the thick trees of Pine Cove Park and disappearing into the night.  
  
Remus watched as the man was left in the shadows to gather his broken wand and slink off to his home. He couldn't help but feel pity for the man and his family. Remus couldn't help wondering what the man had done and what matter needed his answer. Most all, what did he man look like.  
  
He knew he should have waited in the dark till the whole matter was done with and gone but a voice in his mind and a feeling in his heart made him stand and move from behind the tree. He inched his way along the wall, making sure to stay quiet. He just wanted to see the man's face and then he would be satisfied.  
  
He watched as the man finally stood and pocketed the remains of his wand. Remus was only a few feet away. If he would just step into the light...without warning, the man tripped on his tattered robe and fell forward into the street light. He shielded his eyes from the light but it was no use. A loud gasp hit his ears as he turned quickly and looked up to see a small boy standing over him. For a moment, neither moved but then Remus stepped into the light and starred down at him.  
  
"Father..." 


End file.
